Attaching machine



Sept. 27, 1932. P. E. FENTON ETAL 1,879,895

ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 24. 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet l P 1932- P. E. FENTON ET AL ATTACHING MACHINE /jzvomtou fiawgffaz 644w JZ W M Se t 27, 1932 P. E. FENTON ETAL 1,879,395

ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 24. 19:1 G-Sheots-Sheet s A i o 0% g l f i J i i s J S l i, l 1

ATTACHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 24, 1931 6 Sheets-Shaft.v 4

Sept. 27,1932. P. E. FENTON ETAL ATTACHING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. '24, 1931 Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAUL E. FENTON, OI THOMASTON, AND EMERSON H. TOMPKINS, OF WATERBURY, CON- NECTICUT,- .ASSIGrNOBS TO SCOVILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WATEBBUBY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OI CONNECTICUT uracnme mourns Application and December 24, m1. Serial m5. 583,052.

This invention relates toattaching machines such as are used for attaching or setting upon material or articles, snap fasteners, buttons and other fastening devices, and in the particular embodiment shown in the drawings and hereinafter described, the machine is designed primarily for the attaching or setting of tack fastened buttons. One object of the invention is to provide a machine of this type with a deep throat,

that is to say, a relatively deep recess or offset in the head ofthe machine adjacent to the setting or attaching elements (anvil and plunger) thereof whereby the articles or material to which or upon which the fasteners are applied or set may be extended for some distance inwardly over these elements in order that the fastening devices may applied well in from the edge of the article or material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine head and an arrangement of the setting mechanism and feed mechanisms relatively to same in such manner that a compact, efficient and sightly machine is produced.

A further object of i the invention is to provide a machine of the character described of what is known as the full automatic type.

W'ith these objects in view the invention contemplates a machine having a head provided with a deep throat, and setting mechanism carried by such head, including a'set-' t ng anvil and plunger and means for feeding fastener parts thereto whereby the operation of the machine may be made speedy and efiicient, all as will be explained hereinafter more fully and finally claimed.

In the accompanyingdrawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which likeparts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine with parts in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged in which are mounted the various sectional plan: view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on the vertical central axis of the machine. Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 ofFig. 4, but greatly enlarged. Fig. 6 isa schematic plan view of the rotatable feed member or disk and its operating mechanism. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a section taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3, enlarged, butshowing only the cover plane for the feed disk. Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the button holding jaws and the parts of the set-tin mechanism with which they are associate The machine has a head 1 of hollow, casing-like form relatively to which and withcams, arms, links and levers, hereinafter more fully described, whereby the desired functions of the machine are accomplished. As willbe seen, particularly by reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the encasing of most of'themovin parts of the machine within the head 1 in this manner provides a machine of sightly and attrac tive appearance, and one in which the mov ing parts and their bearings are protected against accumulations of dust and'dirt and are shielded in such manner as not to endanger the operator.

The head 1 is mounted upon a bed 2 having legs 3 which provide a suitable stand for the machine.

Mounted in appropriate bearings 4 depending from the bed- 2 is a main drive shaft 5 to which movement may be imparted by a pulley 6 and clutch 7 or other appropriate drive mechanism, a brake 8 being utilized to prevent the inertia of the moving parts of the machine from causing its continued operation after the clutch is disengaged, as is customary in machines of this general type.

The head 1 -(see Figs. 1 and 4) is provided with a deep throat or recess 9 which furnishes ample room, as hereinbefore pointed out, for the insertion over the setting mechanism of the material or article to which buttons or fasteners are to be applied, the setting mechanism, comprising a plunger 10 and anvil 11 being mounted in suitable slide bearings at the extreme forward portion of the head adjacent to this throat or recess 9.

The plunger 10 is vertically reciprocated by means of a rock lever 12 pivoted upon a shaft 13 having its bearings in the sides of the head 1, and rocking movement is imparted to this lever 12 by means of a link 14, bell crank 15, and push rod 16. The push rod 16 is spring mounted as indicated at 17 l in an extension 18 of a forked member 19 which embraces a guide block 20 carried on the main drive shaft and is provided with a roller 21 which engages a groove 22 in a suitable cam, see Figs. 1 and 4. By providing the spring mounting of the push rod 16 in the extension 18 of the member 19 it will be apparent that shocks and jars incident to operation of the machine will be absorbed and will not tend to injure the mechanism. Adjustment of the stroke of the machine is provided for by means of the eccentric bearing of the bell crank lever 15, this adjustment being accomplished by means of the squared end 23 of the eccentric shaft 24 which extends outside of the head 1 (se Fig. 3).

Vertical reciprocating motion (see Fig. 4) is imparted to the anvil 11 in timed relation' to the reciprocation ofthe plunger by means of a link 25, bell crank lever 26 and push rod 27, the latter having a forked end 28 embracing a guide block 29 similar to the block on shaft 5. This push rod 27 carries a roller 30 which engages the groove 31 in a cam 32 carried by theshaft 5.

The head 1 (see particularly Fig. 2) is provided on one side with a button hopper 33 and on the other side with a tack hopper 34, it being assumed, as hereinbefore stated, that the machineshown is for attaching tack fastened buttons, and these hoppers may be filled with buttons and tacks respectively.

through appropriate feed chutes 35, 36, respectively, assembled in the head 1 and provided with covers 37 and 38. The hoppers 33 and 34 are mounted upon and rotate with similar shafts 39 having suitable bearings in the head 1 and rotated by pawl and ratchet mechanism indicated at 40, Fig. 1, which derives motion from a link 41 connected with the rock lever 12, so that upon each reciprocation of the rock lever 12 a partial rotation will be imparted to the hoppers. The hoppers 33 and 34 are provided with hubs 42 having keys 43 which enter keyways 44 in the ends of the shafts 39 so that-they are caused to turn with the shafts. In order, however, that the hoppers may be emptied,

combined latch and stop members 45 are affixed by cap screws 46 to the ends of the shafts and with these combined latch and stop members engage spring pressed latches 47 carried by the hoppers and operable by means of ofistanding finger pieces 48. Thus, when it is desired to empty a hopper, its latch member is moved radially outwardly by means of its finger piece 48 and the hopper is moved axially ,of its shaft 39 until its key 43 abuts against the combined latch and stop member 45, the buttons or tacks, as the case may be, falling from the hopper into an appropriate chute 49 or 50 from which they may becollected in any suitable receptacle. 7

Communicating with the button hopper 33 is a raceway 51 into which the buttons are fed as the hopper rotates, and this racewa leads to and communicates with a feed trac 52 in which is mounted a push finger 53 connected by means of a link 54 and spring 55 with one end of a lever 56 pivoted at 57 intermediate its ends and carrying at its other end a roller 58 which engages the groove 59 of a cam 60 whereby oscillating motion is imparted to thelever about its pivot 57 and reciprocation is imparted to the push finger 53. To the push finger 53 is connected a link 61 which is connected with and operates a suitable cut-ofi' member 62 in the raceway 51 whereby one button is permitted to drop into the feed-track from the raceway 51 upon each operation of the cut-off in a well known manner.

Flanking the plunger-1O are button-holdin g jaws 63 normally contacting below the plunger and provided at their ends with buttonreceiving recesses 64 (see Fig. 9) into which the buttons are pushed one at a time from the feed track 52 by the push finger 53 in timed relation to the operation of the setting mechanism. The jaws 63 re pivoted at 63a upon a slide block 636 and are normally held in contact by means of a spring 65, so that between them their recesses 64 produce a pocket to receive the buttons thus operated upon.

The slide block 636 is carried upon an extension 10a of the plunger 10 and is suspended from the plunger by means of an adjustable rod 10?) which bears against a spring 100. The lower end of the extension 10a is provided with bevelled faces 10d arranged for cooperative engagement with complemental shoulders 630 on the jaws 63. Movement of the slide block 637) is limited by means of a stop pin 10c travelling in a slot 10f and engageable with the upper end-of said slot and with an adjustable stop screw 10g at its lower end.

As the plunger 10 descends upon the setting stroke, the bevelled faces 10d of its extension 10a will strike upon the complemental shoulders 630 of the jaws 63 and will carry the jaws and with them the button and the slide block 631) downwardly until the slide block reaches the limit of its downward movement as dctermined by engagementof stoppin 10e with the stop screw 10g, whereupon the plunger will cause the jaws to camapart against the tension of the spring 65 and ,release the button as the setting operation isperformed. Of course this releasing of the button does not occur until the tack carried by the anvil 11, as will be hereinafter described, has engaged the button in the manner customary in machines of this character. Return of the jaws 63 to normal position relatively to the plunger is accomplished bypressureoft-he spring 100 upon the head of the rod 105.

This arrangement and mode of operation of button-holding jaws is superior to that in which the plunger forces the button from the jaws and thus cams the jaws apart, in that it removes all strain from the button; and

hence removes any chance for distortion of same prior to sett1ng..,Moreover, the fact that the plunger does not come in contactwith the button until it is released from the jaws prevents premature release of the button from the aws.

Due to the deep throat of the machine, it is necessary, in order that the throat may be kept clear for easy introduction of thearticles or material upon which the buttons are to be set, to cause the tacks employed totravel substantially the full depth of the throat to reach the anvil 11 upon which they are'positioned for, setting. If apush finger similar to that illustrated at 53 and operating in substantially the same manner were employed, its length of reciprocatory movement and the time necessary to perform such movement would be so great as to make the operation of the machine undesirably slow and would, consequently, make the but-ton setting operations occur at such relatively long intervals as to somewhat negative-the practicability of the machine. In order to overcome this undesirable characteristic, in the machine of the present invention two coop.- erating members are employed for delivering the tacks from the tack raceway 66, which communicates with the tack hopper 34, to.-

the anvil 11. One of these members is a rotatable feed member or disk 67, (see Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7) and the other is a reciprocating ejector member 68, (see Figs. 4 and 5).

The rota-table member or disk 67 comprises a fiat circular plate 69 having anupstanding ring 70 adjacent to its periphery, this ring being recessed as indicated at 71 to provide a plurality of means for the reception of the tacks fed by the raceway 66. To the under face of this plate 69 is attached a ring-like ratchet wheel 72 and it and the plate 69 provide a central rotative bearing opening 73 which is engaged by a boss 74 of a cap piece 75 (see Figs. 3, 4 and 8) attached to the head An intermittent or rotary 1 by screws 76. step by step motion is imparted to the disk 67 by meansof a pawl 7 7 and pawl carrier 78 operated. by means of a push rod 79 and spring extend through the opening 73 and embrace the-headed end 87' of lever 88 pivoted at 89 and connected by means of .a push rod 90 and spring 91 with the lever 56.

to Figs. 4, 5 and8, it will groove 84 of asuitable cam A spring pressed latch member 92,see Fig. i

5, is carried by thetappiece 75 and is so arranged as to automatically engage successively the recesses-"71 of the disk 67 so that as the disk is' intermittently rotated it will be automatically indexed by the latch mem-' ber 92 in such position thatone of its recesses 71 is, at each partial rotation, alined with the ejector 68*and with the anvil '11. Thus, whenever a button is fed into the arms 63 by the push finger53, atack will be fed onto the anvil 11 by the ejector 68. The tack thus fed onto the anvil 11 will be held thereon, point up, in proper position,by means of the jaws 93 which are normally held in engagement by a spring 94 and which are automatically separated by the upward movement of the anvil 11 during the setting operation. In order that the jaws maybe manu-' ally separated; when desired, to clear the anvil, a hand lever 95isprovided which, when pushed to the right, Fig. 1,will depress the jaws 93 relatively to the anvil 11 and cause them to separate.

The tack raceway 66 is provided with a cut off- 96 operated .by means of a lever 97 connected through a pair of spring pressed arms 98 with a stud 99 (see Figs. 1 and 6) carried by the push rod-79, so that upon each reciprocation of the push rod a tack will be permitted to drop down the raceway and thus enter an aligned recess 71 in the rotatable member or disk 67.

In case the rotatable member or disk ,67

no i

should become jammed, a swinging guard plate 100 is provided, this plate being pivotecl at 101 and being movable about its pivot away from the edge of the disk so as to open to inspection two of the tack carrying recesses 71 0t the disk to permit them to be cleared. This swinging guard plate is'normally held in the position indicated in Figs.

3 and 5 by meansof a spring pressed latch member 102 which engages a seat.103 in the under face vofthe guard plate, see Figs. .1,

and 2.. j

By the provision of the springs 55, 80 and 91, and the spring pressed arms 98 it will be seen that, should any, part of the feed mecha- I nism become jamm'ed, the movement of the parts connected therewith will be taken up by those springs affected and injury to the machine thus be prevented.

As hereinbefore stated, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a machine having a deep throat and, from the foregoing, it will be seen that were it not for the provision of means for eflectively feeding the fastener parts to the setting mechanism the utility of this deep throat would be negatived because the operation of the machine would be so slow as to make it impractical. By the provision of the rotary member or disk 67 for picking up the tacks from the raceway 7 one by one and advancing them into proximity to the anvil by a step by step movement and the ejector 68 for ejecting them onto the anvil the tacks have to be moved by the ejector only a very short distance and the reciprocation of the ejector therefore takes only a very short time. Thus the throat is maintained free of obstructions and the parts of same with which the material or articles come in contact are statlonary and will not be fouled during the setting operation.

The operation of this machine as a setting machine for attaching tack fastened buttons is substantially as follows The hopper 33 is filled with buttons by way of the feed chute 35 and the hopper 34 is filled with tacks by way of the feed chute '36. Then these hoppers are rotated by hand,

as permitted by their pawl and ratchet drive arrangement, in order to feed buttons and tacks to the raceways 51 and 66, respectively.

the pocket formed by the recesses 64 of the jaws 63 and a tack will be fed by the ejector 68 onto the anvil 11 between the aws 93, the plunger 10 will be depressed carrying with it the jaws 63 and the button held therebe-- tween, the anvil 11 will be elevated carrying with it the tack positioned upon it, and as these two members (plunger and anvil) approach the limits of their movement, the point of the tack will pierce the material or article positioned in the throat and will enter the hub of the button, the button will be released from the jaws 63 and the tack from the jaws 93 and the setting operations will be completed. Thereupon the parts will return to their original retracted positions, another button will drop into the feed track 52 upon being released by the cut off 62, the disk 67 will be moved so that another recess holding a tack is indexed by the latch member 92 in line with the ejector 68 and anvil 11, another tack will be released by the cut off 96 and will drop into the'empty recess in the disk 69 pre- 'sented to the end of the raceway 66 and the machine will again be in condition for a setting operation.-

Obviously these setting operations may be performed in rapid sequence, and the buttons set rapidly in position upon material or articles, or single setting operations may be performed at irregular intervals as desired.

By connecting the push finger 53 and the ejector 68 with the sameopera-ting lever 56, it will be apparent that their operation will be simultaneous and that whenever a button is fed into position relatively to the plunger, a

tack will be fed onto the anvil. Thus, so long as buttons and tacks are fed by the hoppers 33 and 34 to the raceways 51 and 66, respectively, and thence'by their cut offs 62 and 96 to the feed track 52 and disk 67 there will always be a button and tack cooperatively positionedrelatively to the plunger and anvil respectively and to each other.

Various changes and modlfications are considered to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

'Wh at we claim is i 1. An attaching machine for buttons and other fasteners, including a head having bearings for a setting mechanism, said head provided with a deep throat for the purpose specified, saidsetting mechanism arranged at one extremity of said throat, means for feed-.

ing fastener parts to said setting mechanism, including a fastener part'feeding raceway at the other extremity of said throat, a rotatable member interposed between said raceway and setting mechahism and spanning the extent of the throat between these elements,

said rotatable member provided with means for receiving fastener parts from said race-' way, means for imparting rotary motion to said rotatable member to cause same to advance said fastener parts from said raceway to said setting mechanism, and means for ejecting said fastener parts from said rotatable-member and moving them into setting position relatively to said setting mechanism.

2. An attaching machine for buttons and other fasteners, includinga head having bearings for a setting mechanism, said head provided with a deep throat for the purpose specified, said setting mechanism including a plunger and an anvil arranged in cooperative relation at one extremity of said throat, means for feeding fastener parts to said anvil,

including a fastener part feeding raceway at the other extremity of said throat, a rotatable member interposed between said raceway and anvil and spanning the extent of the throat between said raceway and anvil, said rotatable member provided with a plurality of means for successively receiving fastener "member in timed relation to the actuation of I the setting mechanism to advance the "fasten ,5 er partssuccessively from said raceway to said anvil, and means reci rocable"rel tively *to "said fastener receivin means in timed.

relation to the operation of the setting me'ch-anism for successively ejecting-said fastener parts from said rotatable memberand moving them into setting position relatively to said anvil.

'3. In an attaching machine for buttons and other fasteners, a setting mechanism-including an anvil, and means forfeeding fastener parts tosaid anvil, includinga racewa and r a rotatable disk provided with an 'oflsta'nding ring, means forimp'arting intermlttent rota tion to said disk, a plurality of fastener part receiving means provided in the ring of said disk and adapted to successively receive fastener parts from said raceway, the rotation of said disk serving to advance said fastener parts into proximity to said anvil, and an 2 ejector member reciprocable diametricallyof said disk and actuated in timed relation to the intermittent rotation of said disk, said ejector member arran'gedfor passage through the receiving means of said ring for-discharging said fastener parts successively from said disk onto said anvil in timed relation to the operation of said setting mechamsm.

4. In an attaching machine for buttons and other fasteners, a setting mechanism including an anvil, and means for feeding fastener parts to said anvil, includinga raceway and a rotatable disk, means for in arting intermittent rotation to said disk, a p urality of fastener. part receiving means carried by said disk and adapted to successively receive fastener parts from said raceway, the rotation of said disk serving to advance said fastener parts into proximity to said anvil, an ejector member actuated in timed relation to l the intermittent rotation of said 'disk'for dischargingsaid fastener parts successively from said disk onto said anvil in timed relation to the operation of said setting mechanism, and means carried by a fixed part of the machine and cooperating with the receiving means for successively indexing said receivin means relatively to said raceway, anvil an ejector member.

other fasteners, a setting mechanism including an anvil, means for feedingfastener to said anvil including a raceway, a feed disk motion to said feed disk, and means operated by said motion imparting means for operating said cut of in timed'relationto the rotaon of said disk. d

6. In'an attaching machine for buttons and nism for imparting an intermittent rotary motion-to said ,feeddisk, and means operated other fasteners, a setting mechanism includof its rotation so that said raceway will fee a fastener part to a recess presented to it and ftio'n so that said raceway will feed a fastener 'part to'arecess presented to it and said ejec- 5. In an attaching machine for buttonsand" 'T 'F" .Tsaid cut off to feed a fastener part from said raceway to said disk at each step of rotation of the disk.

and an ejector, a out off. in said raceway,

means including a pawl and ratchet mechaby said motion'impa'rting means for operating said cut off in timed relation to the rotation of said disk.

;7 In an attaching machine for buttons and other fasteners, a setting mechanism including an anvil, means for feeding fastener parts tosaid anvil including arotatable feed disk and a reciprocating ejector cooperating there-. w1th,=and a cover plate for said disk providing a rotary bearing for said disk and aslide bearing for said ejector.

8. In an attaching machine for buttons and mg an anvil, means for feeding fastener parts to said anvil includin a rotatable feed disk "and a reciprocating e ectorysaid disk carrying an oifstanding ring provided with a plurality of fastener receiving recesses,-means 0 for intermittently rotating said disk, and

means for reci rocatin'g said ejector in timed relation tofsai rotation to eject'the fastener parts successively from said recesses.

9. In an attaching machine for buttonsand other fasteners, a setting mechanism including an anvil, means for feeding fastener parts to said anvil including a rotatable feed disk and an ejector and raceway cooperating tfherewith,:said disk-provided with a plurality of fastener carrying recesses, means for imparting a step by step rotation" to said disk, and means carried by a fixed part of said machine and engageable successively with said recesses for indexing said --disk at each etc ios said ejector will eject a fastener recess aligned with said anvil. 10. In. an attaching machine for buttons and other fasteners, a setting mechanism ineluding an anvil, means for feeding fastener parts to said anvil including a rotatable feed disk and an ejector and raceway cooperating therewith, said raceway provided with a cut off, said disk-provided with a plurality of fastener carrying recesses, means for imparting a step by step rotation to said disk, means for indexing said disk at each step of its rotapart from a tor will eject a fastener part froma recess aligned with said anvil, and means actuated and an ejector, a cut of in said raceway, means for imparting an intermittent rotarys'aid rotation imparting means for operat- 11. an attaching: machine for buttons andother fasteners, a setting mechanism incliidingan anvil and a plunger, means for feeding fastener parts to said anvil and plunger including an ejector and a push finger, a lever to which'both said ejector and said push finger are connected for simultaneous operation in timed relation to the operai tion of the setting mechanism, a, raceway for *feeding fastener parts to said push finger, a cut off in said raceway, and connections between said push finger and cut off whereby 10 the two may be simultaneously'operated.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 23rd day of December, A. D.

. PAUL E. FENTON. 1a EMERSON H. TOMPKINS. 

